Leafinesses

Part of speech: noun

Definitions

1. The state or quality of being densely covered with foliage
2. A measurement of the abundance of leaves on a plant or tree
3. The characteristic of having thick and lush growth of leaves throughout an area

Etymology: "Leafinesses" is the plural of "leafiness," a noun formed from the adjective "leafy" plus the suffix "-ness," which turns an adjective into a noun meaning "the state or quality of being" that adjective. "Leafy" itself is an Old English formation from "leaf," so the whole chain is native English, with no Latin or French detours. The plural form is rare because "leafiness" is usually treated as a mass noun, something you describe in general rather than count. Using the plural suggests several distinct areas, each with its own dense foliage, so the sense becomes "instances of thick, lush leaf growth." The word itself is a plain, transparent coinage with no famous inventor or dramatic shift in meaning behind it.